Whether as an act of murder itself in a cup, as a background setting for the tale or simply a heavily featured element strewn throughout a story (I’m looking at you, Scandinavian thrillers where the characters drink coffee every other page), caffeinated beverages crop up in numerous mystery novels and short tales. As a passionate lover of hot drinks, I have always found it fun to observe how coffee and tea and their counterparts have played a role in some great reads over the years. One also can’t overlook the fact that curling up with a cozy brew and a favorite mystery is truly a match made in heaven. Make yourself a cuppa, and let’s dive into the buzz and jolt of a caffeine-fueled cliffhanger!
The Coffee Trader by David Liss
David Liss is quite possibly the only writer of the genre, humorous economic historical thrillers. The good news is, he’s great at what he does. Set in 1650s Amsterdam, the book centers on Portuguese Jewish immigrant Miguel Lienzo who fled the Inquisition and is looking to recover from a major financial loss after a stock market investment goes awry. Getting a whiff of potential earnings, Miguel decides his next investment project will be the up and coming drink of coffee—“How is it that this magic potion has not swept through Europe already?” is one character’s musing, but a more cynical take is “This devil’s piss is going to make both our fortunes.” As to whether the coffee market makes Miguel’s fortune, you’ll have to delve into this captivating historical mystery to find out. Heady strong coffee fumes punctuate the background of 17th-century Netherlands from squalid back alleys to dimly lit pubs, and you might also learn a bit about commodity trading along the way.
Black Coffee by Charles Osbourne
A novel adaptation of the classic Christie stage play, this java-titled murder-thriller leads the reader on the trail of a killer who poisons a famous physicist via a cup of black coffee. Osbourne does quite a decent job of evoking the great dame’s style: the plot and pacing moves quickly, and as one might expect from the title, coffee (and, well, tea as well—this is Britain after all) makes several appearances in the story. Coffee is used as an occasional murder device in other Christie short stories and novels as well, due to its bitter flavor being a potentially useful mask for the bitter tastes of certain poisons such as cyanide and ricin.
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
Segueing into the legendary Christie’s own work, A Pocket Full of Rye utilizes that oh-so-British beverage, a proper cup of tea, as the murder weapon—or is it really? (No spoilers!) The beloved elderly amateur sleuth Miss Marple solves this particular mystery concerning the death of a wealthy London businessman. As one might expect from other Miss Marple stories, additional cups of tea do indeed get consumed as the story goes on. Tea does crop up, similar to coffee, as a poison vehicle in Christie books and others—though it lacks the more bitter flavor of coffee, it could still contain flavorless chemicals that go undetected by the drinker.
The Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs
Focusing on environments like cafes and teahouses that specialize in caffeinated drinks, Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mystery series is based in Charleston, South Carolina and stars Theodosia “Theo” Browning, the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia caters tea parties and serves customers at her cozy shop, but also has a passion for sleuthing (and a dog named Earl Grey). If you’re looking for a series that combines comforting teahouse vibes with a dose of peril, this might be the perfect match. An added bonus is the titles, which include Steeped in Evil, Death by Darjeeling and Devonshire Scream.
Death On the Patagonian Express by Hy Conrad
Although it doesn’t get as much mention in the world of fictional mysteries, another caffeinated beverage that’s popular in certain parts of the world is yerba mate, generally consumed in regions of Central and South America. Fanny, one of the protagonists of this fun South American mystery expedition, is traveling with her daughter Amy for work purposes on an old-fashioned train through Argentina when a disappearing corpse sparks off a suspenseful chain of events. Yerba mate is traditionally sipped through a metal straw out of a hollowed gourd, or a metal or ceramic container. For mystery lovers looking for a new buzz, might I recommend reading this book while taking in some mate?
